Aldridge and Gill were married for 40 years until she died in 1864. "Herbert Marshall, Ira Aldridge: The African Tragedian, He gradually progressed to larger roles; by 1825, he had top billing at London’s Coburg Theatre as Oronoko in A Slave’s Revenge, soon to be followed by the role of Gambia in The Slave, and the title role of Shakespeare’s Othello. He

They had four more children: Irene Luranah, Ira Frederick and Amanda Aldridge, who all went on to musical careers, the two girls as opera singers. Bernth Lindfors says, “When Aldridge starts appearing on the stage at the Royalty Theatre, he’s just called a gentleman of color. In his performances, Aldridge used his skill to reverse what was expected. He was especially popular in Prussia and Russia, where he received top honors from heads of state. Aldridge used this to his benefit and expanded African references in his biography that appeared in playbills. Ira Aldridge (1807 – 1867) Famous 19th century black Shakespearean actor. The Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. He planned to return to the post-Civil-War United States, but he died in August 1867 while visiting Łódź, Poland. Soon after going to England, in 1824 Aldridge married Margaret Gill, an English woman. An 1858 tour took him to Serbia and to Imperial Russia, where he became acquainted with Leo Tolstoy, Mikhail Shchepkin and the Ukrainian poet and artist Taras Shevchenko . We would welcome any information that adds to and enhances our information and understanding about a particular portrait, sitter or artist. If you tick permission to publish your name will appear above your contribution on our website.

While his wife’s health was beginning to decline, Aldridge began a relationship with a Swedish singer named Amanda Brandt, who also enjoyed making up family ancestry, she falsely claimed to be a baroness. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HESwitchboard: +44 (0) 20 7306 0055, Find out more about the Inspiring People project, National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE "Herbert Marshall, Ira Aldridge: The African Tragedian, He gradually progressed to larger roles; by 1825, he had […] He debuted as Rolla in Pizzaro. His grave is tended by the Society of Polish Artists of Film and Theatre. Aldridge’s first professional acting experience was in the early 1820s with the company associated with the African Grove, an African-American theatre.
Soon after going to England, in 1824 Aldridge married Margaret Gill, an English woman. We’re looking for foster…, SWLA is recruiting adopters now, so if you are interested in adoption please get in touch. FAMpeople is your site which contains biographies of famous people of the past and present. How do you know this? Aldridge performed scenes from Othello that stunned reviewers.

The actor Edmund Kean praised his Othello; some took him to task for taking liberties with the text, while others attacked his race. Ira Frederick Aldridge, American-born English tragedian, considered one of the greatest interpreters of his day. File:Ira AldridgebyNorthcote.jpg|Oil portrait of 1826 by James Northcote of Aldridge dressed for the role of Othello File:Ira Aldridge.jpg|As Othello again, c 1830 by Henry Perronet Briggs File:Ira Aldridge as Othello.jpg|As Othello in Poland, 1860 File:Aldridgetomb.JPG|Aldridge’s tomb in Poland File:William Mulready – Othello – Walters 372629.jpg| Othello by William Mulready. Please note your email address will not be displayed on the page nor will it be used for any marketing material or promotion of any kind. The Shakespearean actor was born as Ira Frederick Aldridge on the24 July 1807to Reverend Daniel and Lurona Aldridge in New York City. If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. Please ensure your comments are relevant and appropriate. He purchased some property in England, toured Russia again (1862), and applied for British citizenship (1863). Ira Aldridge (1807-1867), Actor. You can buy a print of most illustrated portraits. Prices start at £6 for unframed prints, £25 for framed prints. Aldridge first toured to continental Europe in 1852, with successes in Germany, where he was presented to the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, performed for Frederick William IV of Prussia, and performed in Budapest. Ira Frederick Aldridge (July 24, 1807 – August 7, 1867) was an American and later British stage actor and playwright who made his career after 1824 largely on the London stage and in Europe, especially in Shakespearean roles. Sitter in 4 portraitsBorn and educated at the African Free School in New York, Aldridge came to Britain in 1824, and first appeared in the lead role of Othello at the Royalty Theatre in the east end of London the following year. His early “education” in theater included viewing plays from the high balcony of the Park Theatre, New York’s leading theater of the time. A year after Margaret’s death, on April 20, 1865, Aldridge married his mistress, the self-styled Swedish countess Amanda von Brandt, with whom he already had a son, Ira Daniel. His grave is tended by the Society of Polish Artists of Film and Theatre. He is the only actor of African-American descent among the 33 actors of the English stage honored with bronze plaques at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon. According to Aldridge, his paternal grandfather was a Christian chief of the Fula in Senegal. – ‘JAZZ MUSIC OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA’ featuring Tony Kofi, Dennis Rollins & Guests | TWILIGHT show, Bald Black Girl(s) – Cleaning Our Home Poetry Workshop, The South West London Adoption Consortium, University of Greenwich – Proud to be GRE, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, University of Bristol, School of Education, Cheshire Constabulary’s Insight Pre-recruitment Leadership Programme. We'll need your email address so that we can follow up on the information provided and contact you to let you know when your contribution has been published.

It’s made up of impressive full-time Regulars…, Islington’s fostering team urgently needs carers with a spare room to help local young black people. Audiences were positive but reviews were mixed on the idea of a black actor in such a prestigious role. The second playbill refers to him as ‘The African Tragedian.’ So everybody goes to the theater expecting to laugh because this is the man they think Mathews saw in New York City.”. Ira Aldridge 1807 1867 New York Ira Frederick Aldridge, 1807 - 1867.